Flash-light traffic signal



2 Sheets-Sheet l J. M. LOVAAS FLASH LIGHT TRAFFIC SIGNAL;

Filed May 11,

oct. 13,51925.

Oct- 13, 1925.

-A J. M. LovAAs FLASH LIGHT TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed May 11,` 1923 2Shveet's-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 13, 194.25.

UNITED STATES JOHN M.' LGVAAS, 01E' MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

FLASH-LIGHT TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application inea may 11, 1923. serial No. 638,260.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN M. LovAAs, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at Minneapolis, in the county of ennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and` useful Improvements in Flash-Light Traiic Signals; and I do hereby de- Clare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which is appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention provides an extremely simpley and highly efficientdirection signal for use by drivers of automobiles or othermotor-propelled vehicles, and to such ends, gen- 'erally stated, theinvention consists of the novel devices and combinations of deviceshereinafter described and defined in the.

claim.

The signal device is adapted to be worn on or applied to the wrist ofthe driver, much like a wrist watch, and it involves thc use of a smallelectric light bulb and suitable energizing circuit, which circuit.includes an automatic gravity-operated circuit-controllingswitch,which,v when the hand to which the device isapplied, is used inwtheordinary way to steer a machine or perform the ordinary operations inthe control of the machine, will open the circuit and cut the light bulbout of action, but which, when the hand is thrown outward and turnedthumb down, which is a natural position, will cause the circuit to beclosed and the light bulb to be illuminated.

In the accompan ing drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indir'cate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary vperspective illus trating the use of the signaldevice applied to the wrist of the driver of an automobile;

Fig. 2 is atransverse section taken through the si al device on theirregular line $2- wz of ig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device with the case thereofsectioned approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig.,2; v

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of Fig. 2, some parts being shownin full;

Fig. 5 is a perspective showing the storage battery of the device;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view with some parts shown in full section,illustrating the lamp circuit and circuit-controlling switch; Fig. 7 isa side elevation illustratingl a modified form of the signal device; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective of the device shown in Fig. 47

In the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1' to 6, inclusive, the numeral9 indicates a small metallic casing made much like the casing of a vestpocket7 flashlight, except that it has a laterally extended chamber 10to receive and detachably hold a small re flector 11. ,VVithin the mainchamber of the casing 9 is inserted a small battery 12, such as used inflashlights of the type justnoted. The reiector 11, which is of metaland, hence, an electrical' conductor, is provided with a small lightbulb 13 detachably'held thereby in the customary way with its sleevelikeouter contact electrically connected to the reflector 11 andwith itsaxial electrode 14 normally engaged with an insulated T- shaped bus bar15. This bus bar l5 extends from the reiector receiving chamber 1() intothe battery-containing compartment, but is insulated from all of themetallic parts of the casing. The battery 12 has the two customaryterminal contacts 16 and 17, the former of which, when ltliebattery isin position, is yieldingly pressed into electrical contact with the busbar 15. The terminal contact 17 4normally stands just out of engagementwith the adjacent end of a metalf lic guide tube 18 that is secured4within the casing immediately adjacent to one side of the battery.Working freely within the guide tube 18 is a sliding circuit-controllingcontact 19, preferably made in the form of a smallplunger or rodsection. Working through the one end of the casing is a push button 20preferably of insulating material and the headed inner end Aof whichlies normally nearly or in engagement with the terminal contact 17.

At one side, the casing 9 is concavely curved and, at its extremities,is provided with slotted lugs or projections 21. lAt said concave side,the casing is normally closed by a concave side vplate 22 that isdetachably held in position-by friction or any other suitable means,andwhich, when removed, affords ready access to the battery and to thelight font and enables both to be removed and replaced. a

To hold the` signal device on the wrist of Q hand outward and reversesthe operator, I preferably-' employ' a wrist strap 23 which is passedthrough the slot lugsy 21 andis equipped with a buckle 24,.

whereby the si al device lmay be applied to the wrist as c early shownin Fig. 1

Fig.' 6 does not show the bus bar 1.5, but

the battery circuit through the light bulbI 13; and, on the other hand,when the battery is turned right side up or reversed from the positionshown in Fig. 3, the plunger 19 will slide into the tube 18 out ofengagement with the contact 17, thereby opening the battery circuit andcutting the light bulb or condition. existing at all times except when,for eXampleQthe operator throws his the hand and signal devicesubstantially as shown in Fig. 1. Thus, it will be understood that thesignal device, when` applied-to the wrist,l will be automaticallyoperated without requiring the operator to give the same any attentionwhatever other than to give the natural signal almost universally usedand which consists in throwing out the hand. Then thc hand is thrown outand the light bulb temporarily illuminated, a very distinct signal willbe given to a machine in the rear, even on a dark night.

The modified arrangement of the device illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8differs ,from that already described in that the battery andcircuit-controlling switch will be placed in a small casing 9n and thelight font` including the elect-ric bulb, will be placed Jin a lightfont casing 10a. In this arrangement.

' andthe concave .removable plate the casing 9a is provided withperforated ears 21a through which a strap 23a is passed,

22a is secured to said strap by rivets 25 or other suitable means. Thelight font casing 10 is secured on the st-rap at a point distant fromthe casing 9n and the battery is connected to the light bulb throughwires or circuit connections 15 in which the automatic switch, notshown,.is applied.

In thel arrangement shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the casings 9 and 10a are sospaced thatI opposite sides ofthe wearing on the push button 20l so asto force the terminal contact 17 against the adjacent end of themetallic guide tube 18.-

From what has been said,it will be understood that -the invention iscapable of modification and that the generalarrangement described, withany ated switch, would be within the broad scope of the invention..-Neverthelessfmore limportant vdetails are herein involved, .out ofaction, which is the normal condition WhatI claim `-is:

1. A direction signal'comprising a casing, and an electric circuit inthe casing including a light bulb, a battery, a -tube grounded throughAthe casing, and a gravityoperated sliding plunger in the tube, 'saidbattery having a normally out of engagement with the tube andin positionto make contact with the end of the sliding plunger only7 when'thesignal isheld in signaling position, and a non- .conducting push buttonin position for Inoving the said yielding terminal contact into`engagement with the end of the tube. f 2. A direction signal comprisinga casing,`A and an electric circuit in said casing including a lightbulb2 a battery, a tube grounded through the casing, and agravity-operated sliding plunger in said tube` said battery having aterminal Contact normally out of engagement with said tube and inposition to make Contact with the plunger only when the signal is heldin signalling position, and a non-conductino` button operative to moveone of the circuitforming elements and close said c1rcuit, at

will and irrespective of theposition of said signalling id'evice.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my si ature. p JOHN M. Lovgi-As..

kind of a gravity-operend of said sliding yielding terminal contact

